These plants never say die

Beth BottsTRIBUNE REPORTER

"You think I'd crumble? You think I'd lay down and die? Oh no, not I. I will survive!"

So sang Gloria Gaynor in 1978. And sure enough, there are plants alive today that were thriving when disco was king. There are plants that are practically guaranteed to make it in your garden, even if they are the very first you've ever planted.

Note that adverb: "practically." No plant can live without the basics: water, sunlight, good soil and, most important, the right site.

So choose and prepare your site carefully, add water and fertilizer as needed -- and chances are very, very good that these plants will survive, and even make you proud.

Hosta

Where to plant: In a spot with afternoon shade. Chartreuse and white-streaked kinds need more sun; deeper greens tolerate quite deep shade. Keep blue-green varieties out of direct sun to preserve the color. Spread mulch over the root zone. Water once a week for the first year.

Achilles' heel: Deer and slugs. If you have deer in the neighborhood, don't plant hostas. As for slugs, the holes they chew in leaves are just a cosmetic problem, but they drive some gardeners nuts. For a discussion of slug-fighting, see ces.purdue.edu/gardentips/insects/slugs.html.

Russian sage

Where to plant: Full sun, in really well-drained soil. Break up clay soil by mixing in some sand as well as plenty of compost. Water once a week for the first year. In early spring, prune back old, dry growth to 6 inches. "Tough as nails and showy through the entire growing season," says Scott Mehaffey, design manager at Craig Bergmann Landscape Design in Wilmette.

Achilles' heel: Can't tolerate soil that stays wet.

Daylily

Where to plant: In full sun in compost-rich soil that is well-drained but reasonably moist. Water weekly the first year. For more blooms, deadhead (remove spent blooms before they form seed pods). For daylilies, that means clipping off the whole flower stalk a couple of inches above the ground once all its buds have bloomed.

Achilles' heel: Planting too deep. Set the plant in the garden at the same level as it was in the pot.

Petunia

Where to plant: In full sun in well-drained soil. To supply nutrients for constant flowering, dig a slow-release fertilizer into the soil when you plant. Water regularly. In pots, water even more frequently and sprinkle another dose of fertilizer on the potting mix in late July. Deadhead; pinch back plants in July when they get scraggly.

Coneflower

Where to plant: In full sun and (yup, you guessed it) well-drained soil. Dig in plenty of compost when you plant. Water weekly for the first year.

Achilles' heel: Can't tolerate soil that stays wet.

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One thing you can do

Your assignment this week: Prepare your planting area. Even the toughest plants need decent soil to thrive, and the golden opportunity to improve yours is before you plant. Spread 3 or 4 inches of composted organic matter on the planting area and dig it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil with a shovel or garden fork. Use your own compost, if you have it, or buy mushroom compost or cotton burr compost in bags. Some garden centers sell other kinds of bagged compost. Don't use peat moss, which has few nutrients, or anything labeled "topsoil"; that's just dirt, with little of the precious plant matter that will feed your soil and help your garden's roots.